Broken Memories
by shonajain915
Summary: Elena's memories are broken after an accident. With a blood addict boyfriend she can't remember, a vampire doppelganger ruining her life, and Damon confusing her feelings, Elena's life becomes a confusing whirl of love, hate and conflicting emotions.
1. Love On The Rocks

**A/N: I've had this idea for a while, and I didn't want to forget it, so I decided to start this story :) I will still be writing my other TVD fic, Incomplete, as well as this one. **

**This is set after 1x17, so I know it's a bit out-dated...but from there I'm going to try and make it my own as much as possible, while also adding in a few season 3 ideas...not sure whether or not Klaus will be in this story - I'm just gonna wing it ;) leave a review to let me know what you think - feedback is ALWAYS welcomed! Enjoy :D**

**(Song for this chapter: Love On The Rocks, Sara Bareilles)**

_Hot as hell, cold as ice, sip it slow cause it's so nice  
>Dulls my senses, drives my pain, but I do it again<br>Burns a bit to the touch, dangerous if it's too much  
>If this bottle could talk<br>Love on the rocks_

**Elena's POV**

I gazed around groggily, my eyes blurry. What had happened? I vaguely recognised the room I was in to be a hospital ward. _Beep. Beep. _I could hear the steady beeping of the heart monitor, and I allowed my gaze to drift slowly over my body. I was attached to a drip, which was currently allowing blood and water into my body. There were a few random white bandages wrapped around my arms, but my legs were covered with the sheets so I couldn't see the damage done. But what had actually happened? Why was I here? The beeping quickened as I began to panic slightly. A choked sob escaped my lips as I glanced around in fright. Suddenly, a man appeared beside me. I jumped in surprise and stared at him in fear. He had dark, raven-black hair that was casually tousled, and piercing bluey-green eyes. Under normal circumstances I would've thought he was insanely good looking, but considering I was in a hospital and I had no idea who he was, I naturally panicked.

"Hey, hey, hey, Elena," he said softly. "Calm down, it's okay. I'll get the nurse."

"Who are you?" I whispered in fright. "What happened to me?"

He looked stricken. "Elena...it's me, Damon."

Nope. The name didn't mean anything to me. I shook my head uselessly.

"Who?" I gasped. "I don't know you!"

Panic also crossed Damon's perfect features. "Elena...look at me. I'm Damon Salvatore, remember? The brother of your boyfriend?"

"Who's my boyfriend?" I almost sobbed.

Damon leaned back, shock etched into his face. "I gotta get the nurse."

_2 days earlier_

I watched Stefan from the bar, feeling a mixture of different emotions. He grinned as he danced with countless girls, who were all dazzled by him as they fawned over him. It wasn't like he hadn't danced with me – he had, and I knew this whole "party animal" character he was displaying tonight wasn't him – he was drunk. He was trying to mask the cravings for blood. I sighed, stirring my drink idly. Ever since I'd fed him my blood to save his life he'd been acting different. But he'd told me he was dealing with the new lust for blood, and I trusted his judgement, but...I was still concerned. I should be happy, I reasoned. Pearl had kicked out all of the tomb vampires after they'd attacked Stefan – they were gone. That pressing issue was gone. Dealt with. The only issue I had to deal with now was that my vampire boyfriend was struggling with his cravings for blood, and it was my fault.

I glanced around at all of my friends, who were dancing, laughing and chatting. Stefan was amongst most of the girls, and there were lots of girls here considering it was Caroline's birthday party. Caroline would kill me if she knew I wasn't up and dancing with everyone else. I just hoped if she _did _catch me, then the gorgeous silver charm bracelet I had bought her would make up for it.

"Hey, Elena."

I quickly slid off my chair expecting Caroline, but relaxed when I saw Bonnie looking inquisitively down at me. Sighing in relief, I sank into the chair again and she joined me, sitting in the chair opposite.

"I didn't think you'd come," I offered. She'd only got back in town yesterday, and she'd been displaying a cold ignorance toward me and Stefan.

"And miss Caroline's party?" she joked. "Are you crazy?"

I forced a smile, avoiding her gaze. I couldn't pretend everything was normal. She'd been ignoring me, and I wanted to know why.

"So, what's going on with him?" she jerked her head in the direction of Stefan, who was downing shots with the rest of the football team. "He's acting weird."

"He's been through a tough couple of days," I said, trying not to sound so defensive. "He's having a bit of trouble dealing with cravings at the moment after I saved his life."

"Cravings for blood?" she asked flatly.

"Yes," I replied shortly.

Bonnie sighed. "I should go."

"Wait, Bon," I took her arm. "What's going on with _you? _You've barely said a word to me or Stefan since you've been back, and Caroline said you guys talked every day. You never answered or returned my calls," I said, and we could both hear the hurt that saturated my tone.

"I don't want to talk about it, Elena," Bonnie sighed, standing up. "It's just been tough with Grams gone, but I don't want to say anymore. It's Caroline's birthday and we should be happy."

I nodded, feeling hurt seep through me. "Okay, Bonnie. I get it."

"See ya," she muttered, before hurrying away. I sighed, blinking back tears. Not too long after she left, her seat was occupied as Damon sat down.

"Why are you all alone?" he asked, taking a sip from my drink.

I couldn't even be bothered to berate him for stealing my drink. "Just not in the mood to party," I said, almost truthfully. "How did you get in? Surely Caroline didn't invite you..."

"She was happy enough to let me in when I said I was here for you," he said cheerfully, as he eyed Stefan. "Stefan. What a party animal."

"Is there something wrong with him?" I asked immediately. "He's acting really weird – I mean, I know alcohol's supposed to mask the cravings, but – I don't know – part of me just doesn't believe Stefan's handling the whole bloodlust thing well."

Damon shrugged. "I don't get why he can't just suck it up – excuse the pun – and use a blood bag, instead of suppressing it."

I glared at him. "Because he has self-control, and will-power. He won't drink from humans, Damon, not even blood bags."

"He can fight it, Elena, but it's a vampire's basic nature to drink blood," Damon said simply. "He spent so many years resisting it when he should've been learning how to control it."

I chose not to reply, because a part of me knew he was probably right. Damon hadn't killed a person in so long, and while drinking from blood bags, he was still able to keep it in check around humans. Maybe Stefan could do the same.

"Anyway, we have bigger issues at hand rather than my baby brother's blood addict problems," he said dismissively. "Your dear Uncle John has joined the Founder's Council, and I don't like it."

I shrugged. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"Grant me permission to kill him?" Damon suggested.

I glowered at him. "You can't just get rid of your problems by killing people, Damon."

"What?" he said, nonplussed. "It works with pretty much everything else."

"You're not going to kill him, Damon," I warned.

"Fine," he rolled his eyes, standing up.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

Damon glanced around. "High school parties were never really my thing. I think I'm gonna catch up with Ric."

I sighed, glancing over at Stefan who was talking to the DJ. "Whatever."

Damon looked at Stefan, and then down at me. "Stefan will be fine, Elena," he told me earnestly. "Don't worry about him."

Before I could respond to his sudden sincerity, he had already walked away. Sighing, I picked up my bag and began to make my way through the crowd to Stefan. He grinned when he saw me.

"Elena!" he wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my cheek. "My beautiful girlfriend, everybody," he introduced.

I laughed nervously. "Come on, Stefan, let's go home."

"Oh, come on, Elena," he spun me out and tugged me back in again. "Let's dance."

"No, thanks," I wriggled myself out of his arms. "I'm not feeling well, Stefan. I want to go home."

Suddenly, a guy serving drinks collided with me, spilling the drinks all over the floor.

"Oh my goodness, I'm sorry!" he said, flustered. "I tripped!"

"It's fine!" I assured him. "You didn't get me."

Stefan glowered at the man. "Watch it, asshole."

"Stefan!" I hissed in shock.

"I – I'm sorry," the waiter stammered.

"I think you should apologise," Stefan continued darkly.

"Stefan, he already did apologise," I told him sternly, turning to the man. "He doesn't mean it – he's just a little drunk."

The man nodded, shot Stefan a wary look, and then hurried away. Stefan touched my cheek.

"You okay?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Stefan, we need to talk. Alone," I added, before grabbing his hand and dragging him outside to the garden. I hugged myself to keep warm as he faced me in confusion.

"What's going on, Stefan?" I demanded.

He looked puzzled. "I don't know what you mean."

"Do you have the blood thing under control?" I asked, lowering my voice. "Because you're acting different."

"Elena," he chuckled. "I'm drunk, okay? Of course I'm acting different; in comparison to my usual broody self. You should enjoy it while it lasts. I have this whole blood thing under control, okay?"

I sighed. Maybe I was overreacting. The only reason he was acting territorial, and well, _different, _was because he was just a little drunk. Everyone acted different after a few to drink, and if it helped him with the cravings...I should be okay with that. I forced a smile and nodded.

"You're right, Stefan, I'm sorry. But I'm still gonna go home, okay?" I asked.

He nodded. "I'm gonna stay a little while."

I regarded him in surprise. "You're not coming with me?"

Stefan grinned. "I kinda promised Caroline I'd karaoke before I left. You could join me?"

"No, thanks," I forced a laugh. "Have fun. I'll see you tomorrow."

The next morning, I grabbed my bag and hurried downstairs. It was Saturday, and I'd decided to go and visit Stefan. I hadn't seen him or Damon since last night, and I wanted to know how Stefan was doing. I wondered if vampires could get hangovers...because if they could, I knew Stefan would have the worst one ever. I opened the fridge and grabbed a carton of milkshake, and as I closed it, I came face to face with John. I jumped in surprise.

"Sorry," he said, not sounding it at all. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine," I muttered, twisting the cap on the milkshake. "I should go."

"Where are you going?" he asked nosily.

I sighed and turned to face him. "Why?"

"I'm just wondering," he shrugged. "I am your uncle after all. Your parents would want me to keep an eye on you."

"Well, I'm fine _without _you keeping an eye on me," I retorted. "You're hardly around and I've survived without you being here."

"Are you off to see Stefan?" John asked, ignoring my comment.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," I folded my arms irritably. "What's it to you?"

"You know, your mother wouldn't be happy that you're dating a vampire," he called after my retreating figure. I froze in my tracks, my heart spluttering. How the hell...? I whirled around to face him.

"Don't deny it," he warned. "There's no point."

"Which mother, John?" I shot back, before hurrying out the front door, my heart hammering frantically. I quickly got in my car and slammed the door shut. Shakily, I rested my head on the wheel. How did John Gilbert know my boyfriend was a vampire? What did this mean? Would he expose them to the council? Hands trembling, I twisted the keys in the ignition and drove to the Salvatore Boarding House. I pulled over outside the house, before getting out of the car and knocking frantically on the door. It was opened a moment later by Damon, who looked stressed out. Wow. Stress was an emotion I rarely saw crossing Damon Salvatore's face. Something must be up.

"Elena, now's not a good time," he muttered, stepping outside.

"I know," I said hurriedly. "It really isn't. John Gilbert knows Stefan's a vampire, which means he probably knows you're a vampire too."

"I know," he nodded. "He threatened to out me."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Killed him," Damon shrugged. "But that backfired because he was wearing the same ring as Alaric, which brought him back to life."

I sighed. I should be mad that Damon killed John, but I wasn't. "So what are we going to do?"

Damon regarded me cautiously. "_We _aren't going to do anything. _I'll _handle this, Elena."

"Well, maybe I can talk to him," I suggested. "He is my uncle after all...he might understand."

Damon shrugged. "Well, you two have fun in the whole bonding thing. Let me know how it goes."

"How's Stefan?" I asked.

Damon sighed edgily. "Another complication. You'd better come inside for this."

Confused, and slightly wary, I followed him inside. He closed the door gently behind me and turned to face me.

"What's going on, Damon?" I asked cautiously, folding my arms.

"Sherriff Forbes told me there was a disturbance at the hospital blood bank last night. Some of the supply was stolen," he told me. "At first I thought it was Anna, but she told me she hadn't been there in a week. And then that's where Stefan comes in," he walked briskly across the room, and with an ominous sense of foreboding in my stomach, I followed. Damon led me down to the cellar, and I gasped. Blood bags that had been squeezed and emptied were scattered across the floor carelessly, and random droplets of blood dotted the walls.

"Are you telling me Stefan robbed a hospital?" I whispered, my voice laced with shock.

"Yes," Damon nodded. "He's back on human blood, Elena. Normally I would have a completely different outlook on this, but with the council back on the alert since John Gilbert came back to town, now is not a good time for Stefan to embrace his blood addiction."

"This – this is _Stefan _we're talking about!" I murmured. "He lied to me...Damon, there has to be something we can do. I can talk to him – I'm the one who made him drink the blood in the first place."

"You don't get it, Elena. You can't just talk to him – it's not that easy. This is Stefan on human blood; he'll do or say anything, no matter how much he has to lie," he explained tightly.

"Maybe you can talk to him," I suggested. "He _is _your brother, so maybe –"

I was cut off as I heard the front door open and close.

"He's here," Damon informed me. I hurried upstairs to find Stefan walking in. Everything about him just seemed different. When I looked at him now, I saw a different person.

"Oh, hey," he grinned. "What are you doing here?"

"I know that you're drinking human blood, Stefan," I said flatly.

Stefan looked surprised, but then he quickly covered it with a mask of surprise. "What are you talking about, Elena?"

"I saw the cellar," I replied. "How could you lie to my face, Stefan? You told me you had it under control!"

"Elena, I don't understand why you're getting so upset," he said. "The blood doesn't change anything."

"Yes, it does!" I snapped back. "It's changing you – you _never _lie to me!"

"Well, given the way you're reacting can't you understand why I kept it from you? It's no big deal, Elena," he said.

"I can't do this right now," I said tiredly, grabbing my bag. "Bye, Stefan."

"Wait," as I walked past him, Stefan grabbed my arm. "Elena, it doesn't change anything."

"You robbed a hospital!" I pointed out. "Now, please, let go of me. I need time to think."

Stefan didn't let go. "What is there to think about, Elena?"

"Let her go, Stefan," Damon's voice ordered quietly.

Stefan shook his head and released my arm. "So what is this, Damon? You rat me out, huh? You're the one that's always wanted me to embrace what I am, and now that I'm doing that you don't like it?"

Damon walked toward us and touched my arm. "You should leave, Elena," he said, his eyes fixed on Stefan. Deciding it was best not to argue, I hurried out of the house. I didn't even bother getting in the car. I just stormed onward, unsure of where I was going. Hurt and betrayal boiled inside of me as I strode away from the house. Tears fogged my vision as I walked. How could Stefan lie to me about this? After everything we'd been through...he just lied to me. My tears spilled over and trickled down my cheeks. The traffic lights turned red so I began to walk across the road. Suddenly, a car drove around the corner. My heart lurched as I realised the driver had completely been ignoring the red light. I tried to run out of the way, but, unable to stop, it hit me in the side of the hip. Pain exploded everywhere as I was thrown across the street. My head whacked the road hard. Black spots appeared in front of my eyes, and I tasted blood as I blacked out.


	2. Vulnerable

_Hold me now, I can't tell if I'm lost or found_

_And I don't know how to let you in, unless you go,_

_I'm so vulnerable._

_Hold me now, please baby don't let me down._

**Elena's POV**

"I need you to tell me everything you can remember about your life," the doctor said calmly to me. I was sitting up in bed, and the man named Damon was standing across the room, worry etched into his face. But I couldn't remember him. I gazed at the doctor.

"C-can I tell B-Bonnie?" I whispered. I'd been able to recall Bonnie, my best friend. That was about it so far. I was terrified. I couldn't remember chunks of my life. It was like someone had come and poked huge holes in my memory. I needed a friendly face, and right now, the only face I could remember fully was Bonnie. The doctor nodded.

"Of course," he said. "Mr Salvatore, do you think you could send Bonnie in?"

Damon nodded tightly, before shooting me a worried glance and striding out of the room. A few moments later, Bonnie entered the room. Her anxious eyes fell on me, and she gasped in relief.

"Elena!" she whispered, running to me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I whispered back. "I'm so glad to see you, Bonnie."

Tears filled her eyes and she carefully hugged me. "Oh, Elena, I'm so glad you're okay."

The doctor smiled softly. "I'll give you guys some time," he said, before exiting. Bonnie carefully sat down on the bed next to me and wrapped her arms around me.

"Elena, I need you to tell me everything you can remember," Bonnie said seriously.

"You're my best friend," I whispered. "My...my parents are dead. But I'm adopted. My birth mother is called...Is...Isobel? I – I remember Caroline. Um...Bonnie drop some hints here."

"Jeremy Gilbert?" she whispered.

"My brother," I remembered.

"Jenna Sommers?"

"Um..." my head hurt as I tried to remember, but I wouldn't give up. "Aunt Jenna!" I suddenly remembered.

"John Gilbert?"

Of course I remembered him. "Uncle John," I shuddered.

"Where do you live?" she asked.

"Mystic Falls."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"Do you remember Stefan Salvatore?" she said tentatively.

"Salvatore...his brother, right?" I pointed in the direction Damon had left the room. "Damon."

"Yeah," she nodded eagerly. "But...do you remember who he is to you?"

I remembered what Damon had said: _I'm Damon Salvatore, remember? The brother of your boyfriend? _

"He's my boyfriend?" I asked dubiously. How could I not remember my boyfriend?

"Yeah," Bonnie whispered. "Okay...um...do you remember anything...let's say, _significant _about me? Does the word _witch _mean anything to you?"

I thought back. It was hard. And then it came to me, like a dream I'd forgotten.

"You're a witch, Bonnie," I told her. "You're ancestors date back to Salem."

Bonnie nodded enthusiastically. "Good, Elena. I want you to look at this picture," she showed me a phone, which I recognised to be my own. I looked at the picture of a man with his arms wrapped around me. He had tousled, hazel hair and tanned skin. He was kissing my cheek, while I laughed.

"Is that Stefan?" I whispered.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Do you...uh...do you remember anything significant about him, Elena?"

"Is he a witch too?" I asked.

"No, no," she assured me. "Never mind, Elena. Tell me anything else you can remember."

I racked my brains as hard as I could, and suddenly it hit me. "Vampires."

Bonnie's eyes flashed with urgency. "_Yes. Who _are the vampires, Elena?"

Fangs. Blood. Bloodshot eyes. Neck wounds. Animal attacks. I felt...comfortable about it...I mean, I was slightly on edge when I thought about the word vampire, but I wasn't terrified. But I couldn't remember why...I shook my head desperately.

"I can't remember!" I said frantically.

"Elena, Elena, it's okay," she soothed. "Don't worry about it. You've done really well – I'm gonna go and get the doctor."

I nodded, resting back on the pillows and blinking back tears. I felt so...helpless and vulnerable without my memories. I just wanted to be able to remember.

* * *

><p><strong>Damon's POV<strong>

"What can she remember?" I demanded immediately as Bonnie left the ward.

"You weren't listening?" Bonnie shot back, as the doctor approached us. The doctor took out a clipboard.

"Will she be able to talk to me just yet?" he asked. "It might be easy to make a diagnosis if I talk to her myself."

I looked pointedly at Bonnie, but she already had it covered. "No," she said smoothly, smiling apologetically. "Elena's feeling scared and vulnerable right now, and she really doesn't want to talk to anyone but me. But I can tell you that she remembers her name, her age and where she lives. With a little help she was able to remember her closest family, but the rest is a blur for her."

The doctor nodded kindly. "Elena is suffering from post-traumatic amnesia."

"A-what-what?" I asked.

"Post-traumatic amnesia," he repeated patiently. "It's generally due to head injuries –"

"Really?" I muttered sarcastically, resulting in Bonnie digging me in the ribs. I glared at her and turned to the doctor. "Is it permanent? Will she ever remember again?"

"Post-traumatic amnesia is usually transient –" he continued as if I hadn't spoken.

"Trans-what?" I interrupted again.

"Transient," Bonnie snapped impatiently. "It means it isn't permanent."

"_But _it can be permanent of either anterograde, retrograde or a mixed type," the doctor finished.

"Okay, seriously, in English please?" I said.

"Anterograde is the loss of short-term memory, or the loss or impairment of the ability to form new memories through memorization, and retrograde is the loss of pre-existing memories to conscious recollection, beyond an ordinary degree of forgetfulness," the doctor explained.

"What are the chances of it being permanent?" I asked.

"The head injury isn't as bad as we feared," he replied. "So the chances of it being permanent are slim. But I would strongly advise you don't force her to remember. Try and make life as normal as possible for her, and carefully drop small hints that may allow her to remember. But gently," he emphasised. "Don't force her."

Bonnie nodded. "Thank you, doctor. When can she come home?"

"Well, we just need to check her vitals, and then she's fine to go home."

"Would you advise her to go to school like normal?" she enquired.

"As soon as she's ready to," the doctor said.

"Okay. Thanks, doctor," Bonnie said as he walked away. She turned and glared at me. "Let me make one thing straight, Salvatore. I hate your guts."

I looked offended. "Thanks. Don't hold back," I said sarcastically.

"_But_," she continued. "I care about Elena. So we are going to set our differences aside for Elena, you hear me?"

"As long as you don't do that fun little headache thing with me," I shot back.

"I won't as long as _you _don't kill anybody," she retorted.

I nodded without hesitation. "Done."

"Where's Stefan?" she asked. "Why isn't he here with Elena?"

I sighed. "Stefan...he's, uh...a little occupied."

"Do I need to be worried?" Bonnie asked.

"No," I replied immediately. "I'll handle it."

"Elena has been out cold for a day," she stated. "Doesn't he know about her?"

I raked my hand through my hair in frustration. "Bonnie, will you please just let me handle this by myself?"

Bonnie looked surprised by my outburst, but she eventually nodded. "Alright, Damon."

* * *

><p><strong>Elena's POV<strong>

The doctor checked my vitals, and when everything was okay, he let me go home with Jenna and Alaric, who was driving. As soon as I walked through the front door, Jeremy engulfed me in a tight hug.

"They made me go to school!" he said, his voice scandalised. "Are you okay, Elena?"

"I'm fine, Jer," I replied, hugging him tightly. Jeremy released me gently.

"You hungry?" he asked. "I can cook something."

"Shall I call the fire department before or after you set foot in the kitchen?" Jenna snickered.

"Look who's talking!" Jeremy grinned. "You can't cook to save your life, Aunt Jenna."

Alaric chuckled. "Why don't I just order a pizza? You can invite some friends over, Elena – Caroline's been harassing me all day about you."

I forced a smile. "Yeah, that'd be nice. I'll call Caroline and Bonnie." I quickly dialled Caroline's number, deciding I would ignore the pains radiating from the back of my head. I'd needed a few stitches, but I was mostly just bruised and battered. I felt so alone...and lost and vulnerable without my memories. All I wanted was to be surrounded by normal...which meant, school, friends and pizza.

* * *

><p><strong>Damon's POV<strong>

I looked down at my phone that was ringing. I sighed and picked it up.

"Seriously. Not in the mood to talk right now," I said, regardless of who it was.

"Damon, it's me," Alaric said irritably.

"Oh. Hey there, teacher," I said. "What's up? How's Elena?"

"I think she's okay," he sighed. "We're having a pizza party. You feel like coming? I tried calling Stefan but I couldn't get through."

"She doesn't remember me, Alaric," I said, my voice cracking slightly.

"Oh, come on, Damon," Alaric said, trying to sound cheerful. "Why not try and win her with your charm?"

"Are you complimenting me, Ric? Or inviting me to flirt with Elena?" I smirked.

Alaric chuckled. "Let's call it a feeble attempt at humour, while trying to convince you to come."

I laughed, finally won over. "Okay. I'll be there," I said, before hanging up. At that moment, Stefan walked in.

"Hey, brother," I said. "How's the blood treating you?"

Stefan ignored me and poured himself a drink. I walked toward him, confused.

"You know Elena was in an accident, right? After she ran out when she found out you were lying to her?" I asked.

Stefan glared at me. "I'm aware, Damon."

"Well..." I was puzzled by Stefan's behaviour. "There's a pizza party at Elena's...hey, she doesn't remember us, you wanna go ahead and call dibs?"

Stefan shook his head, picking up his drink. "I can't go near Elena right now."

"You can't control yourself," I stated. "Can you? You've let yourself fly off the handle?"

Stefan just scoffed, shaking his head and beginning to walk away.

"Don't kill anyone while I'm gone!" I hollered after him, before grabbing my phone and jacket and heading out the front door. I came face to face with none other than Pearl and Anna.

"Hello, Damon," Pearl said solemnly, her brown eyes serious.

I looked cautiously at them. "You're not here to poke my eyes out again, right?"

Pearl chuckled. "No, Damon. I'm here with regards to what happened to Stefan."

I tensed a little. "If you're mad that I killed some of those tomb vamps, then I don't want to hear it. Each and every one of them deserved what they got."

"No," she continued gently. "I wanted to offer my apologies. I hope this makes up for it," she extended her hand and uncurled her fist. I looked down to see a small, golden object.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's the device I stole from Johnathan Gilbert," she explained. "The same device John Gilbert wants so desperately. I don't know what it does, or why John wants it. He must know what it can do, is my best guess," she handed me the device. I closed my hand around it, the gold metal cold against my skin.

"I won't let him get his hands on it," I promised.

"You should also know that the tomb vampires won't give up," Anna spoke up. "They want revenge, Damon. They want every founding family member dead, including you."

"I can take care of myself," I assured them cockily.

"I know that," she replied, with a small smile. "I was referring to Jeremy...and Elena. They're going to be targets, and I know you care about Elena."

"I know _you _care about Jeremy," I retorted.

"We want to stay here," Pearl said. "So I hope we don't have to be enemies throughout our stay. Because it will be a life-long one."

I nodded cautiously, pocketing the device. Pearl had been friends with Katherine...one of the most manipulative, sneaky bitches to walk the Earth. i would definitely think twice before trusting Pearl.

"I'm going to Jeremy's for pizza," Anna offered. "Are you coming?"

I appreciated her effort in trying to be kind. I nodded. "Yeah. I'll drive you."

* * *

><p><strong>Elena's POV<strong>

I dropped a big, mouth-watering slice of cheesy pizza onto my plate, and began to eat it delicately. The delicious tastes exploded in my mouth, but I just wished I was able to enjoy it more. I didn't feel like eating. Or talking. Or socialising. What I really wanted was to go to bed and sleep. Thankfully, Caroline had been bombarding me with a worried speech as we ate pizza, meaning I couldn't get a word in edgeways. Bonnie was quiet as she played with her food, while Jenna and Alaric chatted together. I could hear Caroline buzzing away to Bonnie from the kitchen. I sighed as Uncle John walked in.

"Hello, Elena," he greeted me. I nodded at him. My memories of him were quite clear...I scowled. Why couldn't I have forgotten him and remembered my supposed boyfriend instead?

"You feeling alright?" he asked gruffly.

I nodded again, not in the mood to talk to him. "Yes, John," I sighed impatiently, began to walk out of the kitchen, leaving my pizza.

"You know, I knew your birth mother," he called after me.

I froze in my tracks, and slowly turned to face him in shock. "What?"

"Isobel and I were close when we were younger," he told me. "I knew her extremely well."

I sighed, folding my arms. "Well, it seems like everybody knew my birth mother apart from me."

John also sighed. "Elena –"

The doorbell rang, and I quickly glanced around. "I'll get it!" I called, hurrying to the hallway and wrenching the door open. The man from the hospital, Damon, was standing in the doorway with a teenage girl I didn't recognise. Jeremy appeared behind me immediately, and grinned at the girl.

"Come on in, Anna," he took her hand and led her upstairs. Damon watched them contemplatively, before shaking his head and smiling.

"Hi," he said, turning to me.

"Hi," I replied awkwardly. Awkward because I couldn't remember who he was.

"Alaric invited me," he explained. "So..."

"Right," I said quickly, standing aside. "Come in."

Damon entered the house and I closed the door behind him. He looked at me in concern.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm fine," I sighed. "Damon, I'm sorry. I wish I could remember you."

Damon smirked, although I could see a different emotion in his eyes. "It doesn't matter, Elena. I can call dibs now."

"Dibs?" I repeated scornfully. "On me?"

"Yup."

I regarded him doubtfully. "Am I an object to you?"

He grinned. "Nope, not an object."

I folded my arms. "Then what?"

At that moment, Caroline skipped into the hallway. Her jaw dropped in an unattractive manner as she noticed Damon.

"Hey, Blondie," he greeted.

She glared at him. "Piss off, Salvatore," she snapped, before stomping back into the living room. I turned around to face him in confusion.

"What was that about?" I asked.

Damon shrugged innocently. "I have no idea. Perhaps it was her hormones talking."

"I heard that!" Caroline yelled from the living room.

**A/N: let me know what you think :) btw, song title is Vulnerable, by Vanessa Hudgens. Admittedly ;)**


	3. Fade Away

_I learned from the past  
>Not everything lasts<br>I understand that now  
>Everything changed<br>When you walked away  
>But I'll survive somehow<em>

**Elena's POV**

The next morning when I awoke, I didn't feel any different. I sighed, pushing the covers off me. I was hoping maybe I would have a shred of memory back, but no...I still felt the same as last night, except the headache had faded slightly. It was still there however, probing at the back of my skull irritatingly. I exhaled slowly, sitting up. Great. School. So an awful accident happens to me where I lose half my memory, and I still have to go to school. At least Bonnie was picking me up, though, on the bright side. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and got up, feeling a little dizzy as I did. I walked slowly to my dressing table, picked up the little pot of painkillers and then headed to the bathroom to fill a glass with water. Once I'd swallowed the pills, I went about what I supposed used to be my normal routine: shower, get changed, makeup and teeth. I glanced down at the necklace around my neck. Who got me that? A scent like roses wafted up to my nose, and confused, I lifted the pendant up to sniff it. It smelled like some sort of herb...I wondered who got it for me. I'd have to ask Jenna. Grabbing my schoolbag and shooting my reflection a doubtful look, I walked downstairs into the kitchen.

"Morning, Jenna," I said to my bleary-eyed Aunt, who was lounging on the couch with a cup of coffee.

"Hey," she widened her eyes as she actually looked at me. "Whoa. You're going to school already? Are you sure you feel okay?"

"I'm fine," I told her hurriedly.

"Mrs Lockwood called," she said. "She passes on her best wishes to you, and wants to know if you're coming to the Miss Mystic Dance rehearsals after school."

"What?" I asked, confused. "Miss Mystic Dance rehearsals?"

"Oh...I forgot about that," Jenna sighed, obviously referring to my temporary memory loss. "You and your mom signed you up for the Miss Mystic Falls Beauty Pageant this weekend. Rehearsals are today and tomorrow after school for the dancing part. I can call and cancel it for you, if you want me to?"

I sighed. "No...it meant the world to my mom, didn't it? I can't not do it..."

"Elena, this is _your _choice. _You _were the one who got hit by a car," she reminded me.

I shook my head, stifling a wince. "I'll do it, Jenna. So, a Beauty Pageant? What am I getting myself into, Jenna?"

Jenna smiled sympathetically. "You don't wanna know, babe."

* * *

><p>Once Bonnie arrived, I hurried outside and she drove us to school. The drive was quiet and peaceful, until Bonnie finally broke the silence.<p>

"You wanna hang out after school today?" she asked. "Just me and you?"

I sighed apologetically. "I wish I could. I have Miss Mystic Dance rehearsals after school."

"You're still going to do that?" she said in surprise. "Caroline thought you would quit after what happened."

I shrugged. "It was really important to my mother...I remember that much about it, anyway. I figured, why not? I might as well just go for it...try to live life as normally as possible with this freak amnesia."

Bonnie gave me a strange look. "Who's going to be your escort?"

"Escort?" I repeated in confusion.

"Yes. In other words, your date and dance partner for the pageant. If you don't have an escort they'll put you with some stranger. Matt can't get off work, so Caroline's been put with some fill-in guy," Bonnie explained.

I glanced down at my hands. "Well, apparently I have a boyfriend. Stefan, right? Can't he be my escort?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," she said hastily. "Stefan's not himself at the moment..."

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously, as she parked the car in the school parking lot and cut the engine. I waited for a response as we got out of the car, and Bonnie locked the car doors.

"It's..." Bonnie sighed. "It's complicated. You'll see for yourself. He's not the guy you wanna be taking as an escort."

"Well who am I supposed to take then, Bonnie?" I asked impatiently, as we walked up to school. Annoyingly, memories of school were slowly flooding back. Basically, all the unimportant stuff in my life was still in my memory.

Just then, a red convertible car drove into the parking lot. The music the driver was listening to was blaring loudly through the parking lot as the car searched for a spot to park. The driver pulled over almost lazily into a spot, before cutting the engine and opening the car door. The boy in the car swung his bag casually over his shoulder and slotted on a pair of black sunglasses. My jaw dropped. It was Stefan. _Wow. _I knew how to pick 'em. I watched as girls stared at him in interest, and he smirked back. Okay, maybe not. Stefan walked past us, completely ignoring me.

"See what I mean?" Bonnie said grimly.

"_That's _what I picked for a boyfriend?" I asked in surprise. "What an ass. What was I thinking?"

* * *

><p>At the end of the day, I was tired and miserable, and I still had those dance rehearsals to look forward to. Stefan hadn't uttered a single word to me all day; hell, he hadn't even <em>looked <em>at me. For once I was actually grateful that I had amnesia. I didn't want to remember what my supposed boyfriend used to be like if he was ignoring me now. And the worst thing was I didn't have an escort for the pageant in three days.

I was now sitting in the gym along with the other contestants and their escorts waiting for Mrs Lockwood to arrive.

"Oh. My. God," Caroline muttered in my ear. "Talking to my fill-in escort is like talking to a brick wall. He is _so _freaking dumb."

I couldn't help but laugh, and then stopped myself miserably. "At least you _have _an escort. My supposed 'boyfriend' has bailed on me."

Caroline glanced at me in surprise. "Yeah, what is with Stefan? He hasn't even talked to you, and every time I see him he's flirting with another girl."

"Ask somebody who actually remembers," I said grimly. "Because I haven't got a clue."

"Right, sorry," she said quickly. "I forgot about that."

"No, it's okay, I just," I sighed. "I'm kind of glad I don't remember dating him, because he seems like a pretentious jerk. I honestly don't know what I was thinking."

"Well, Stefan _is _a nice guy," Caroline said. "Or was..."

At that moment, the gym door was kicked open, and Damon walked in. The rest of the girls stared at him with interest as he walked toward us. Caroline folded her arms.

"What are _you _doing here?" she demanded.

Damon looked at me. "Heard a single girl with a broken memory needs an escort for the pageant. And I'm available."

Before I could argue, Mrs Lockwood walked in. She smiled when she saw Damon, and whoa. Did she just bat her eyelashes at him?

"Hello, everyone. Damon...what are you doing here?" she asked, in a completely different tone of voice from what Caroline had used.

"I'm Elena's escort," he said smoothly. "My brother's occupied, so I'm going to be filling in for him. It would be my pleasure," he added on the end, glancing at me. I stared at him; both bewildered and thankful. He returned my smile, before looking back at Mrs Lockwood.

"That's wonderful," she gushed. "How kind of you, Damon."

"That's me," he smirked, dropping in the seat beside me. Caroline looked livid.

After we'd gone through the instructions from Mrs Lockwood (and she'd used Damon to demonstrate the dance), the girls stood on one side of the gym in a line and faced their partners. I studied Damon as Mrs Lockwood began to set up the music. Who was this guy? Really? Did I used to like him? Caroline seemed to hate him...I didn't think Bonnie liked him very much either...Mrs Lockwood liked him. So either she just likes younger men, or he's a flirt. I sighed. Well, he was being nicer to me than Stefan was. I think it was safe to say that Stefan and I were no longer a couple. Surprisingly, that made me feel sad. I was broken from my reverie as the music started, and I was supposed to be dancing. As we danced, I began to speak quietly to Damon.

"Thank you," I said gratefully.

He grinned. "Sure."

"So, why doesn't Caroline like you?" I asked.

"Oh..." he smirked. "That. We dated. Broke it off with her. She kinda hates me for what went down between us."

I nodded. "Sounds complicated. And, Bonnie? Why doesn't she like you?"

Damon shrugged. "She just doesn't."

I sighed. "I wish I could remember more about people...I know their faces, but I don't know a story, you know?"

Damon nodded. "Not exactly, but I'll try and sympathise."

"And...what's with Stefan? Isn't he supposed to be my boyfriend?" I asked.

Damon looked uncomfortable. "Well...that's...I mean, he's complicated. I think..." he sighed. "I think you should just forget about him for now. At least until your memory comes back."

I regarded him in surprise as the dance ended. Damon stooped into a bow, took my hand and kissed it.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen," Mrs Lockwood called. "That was a lovely rehearsal. I would like to go over the dance one more time tomorrow after school, but for now, you may leave."

"It's been a pleasure, Ms Gilbert," Damon said, before stooping into a bow and kissing my hand. He then turned and walked out of the gym, leaving me with Caroline who was eyeing me.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"I have no idea," I muttered, my hand tingling from his kiss.

_Once touched by pain  
>You're not the same<br>But time can heal  
>Your heart again<br>So let the clouds  
>That bring you down<br>Just fade away  
><em>

**A/N: sorry i took like a month to update...i was struggling for ideas, but i think i'm good now :) title for the chapter is Fade Away by Celine Dion :)**


	4. All I Need

**A/N: I am SO SORRY for the delay. I really haven't been writing this much lately, nor have I written anymore on my other story Incomplete, mostly because I've been working on other projects. But I was reading through some other fanfics, and I realised I wanted to continue mine. I'm going to focus on this one more than Incomplete at the moment. I'm not abandoning Incomplete, I'm just leaving it for a while to get this one going. I will try and update more often, I promise :)**

_Don't tear me down for all I need  
>Make my heart a better place<br>Give me something I can believe  
>Don't tear me down, what's left of me<br>Make my heart a better place._

**Elena's POV**

The week passed by quickly, which unfortunately meant that the weekend came quickly. It was now Saturday morning, and I was waiting in the hallway for Alaric to arrive. He would be driving Jenna and I down to the Lockwoods' house, where later on in the afternoon, the pageant would take place. Jenna would also be helping me get ready for the pageant, and I already had my dress picked out. It was zipped up at Carol Lockwood's house; all ready for me to change into when the time was right.

I hadn't seen Stefan all week, and for some reason, this bothered me. Tiny little fragments of my memory were coming back to me in the duration of the week every time I looked at him. And they were mostly memories of how I felt toward him. They were fluttery, foreign feelings of love and passion...and it hurt. It hurt to think that maybe I loved him, and he obviously didn't love me back. It had been Tuesday when I'd sat in history class, and Stefan had caught my eye. Suddenly, a memory so sharp and defined hit me so hard that I was shocked I hadn't remembered it before: I remembered the day when we'd been eye-flirting in that class...I'd basically only just met him, and I knew that I was deeply attracted to him. Thanks to that stupid fragment of memory, I now felt an unconditional attraction toward Stefan, and it bugged the life out of me. That had only been the start. After that, tiny little pieces of information kept coming back to me, to the point where I actually tried my hardest to avoid looking at Stefan. He obviously didn't care about me, because if he did, I'm sure as hell he would've been a little more concerned that his girlfriend had been in an accident. I just couldn't understand what I'd been thinking when I chose to date someone like that...every time I queried this with Caroline or Bonnie, they just shrugged, and came up simply with the response of "he's changed".

While trying to deal with my attraction to Stefan, my curiosity about Damon had increased. Who was this hot guy, really? I mean, I knew that he was Stefan's brother, but who was _he? _I'd learned from Caroline that he was a player, and according to her, he hadn't treated her right. But he'd never ever treated me in a wrong way...I'd seen him every night for three days for dance rehearsals, and I had to admit, he was a good dancer. He didn't make me feel awkward, and those eyes! His gorgeous, bluey-green orbs filled my mind, and I quickly shook off my daydream...he would never go for me. He seemed like the kind of guy who needed to be kept entertained...and I was boring. I mean, I couldn't even remember my life.

"Elena!" Jenna called, hurrying down the stairs. I snapped out of my reverie and glanced up at her. "Alaric's here – I saw him out the window."

I nodded quickly. "Alright. Let's go."

"How're you feeling?" she asked, opening the front door. I blinked rapidly in the sudden brightness of the morning, using my hand as a shield from the sun.

"I'm okay; the headaches are getting better, I suppose," I replied, opening the back-seat passenger door of Alaric's car and getting in. Aunt Jenna got in the front, and smiled at Ric.

"You got everything?" Alaric asked.

"Yep," I nodded, exhaling sharply. "Let's go."

Once we arrived at Carol's, Alaric pulled over and turned to face Jenna.

"I'll be here at three, okay? That's when the pageant starts, right?" Alaric enquired.

"Yeah," Jenna smiled. "Thanks for driving us, Ric. You really didn't have to."

"I wanted to," he returned her smile. "I got to spend more time with you, didn't I?"

Feeling like I was intruding on what could be a romantic moment, I grabbed my bag and opened the car door.

"Thanks for the ride, Ric," I said quickly, getting out and shutting the door.

"Elena!" Caroline's voice squealed, as she hurried toward me, carrying a huge handbag and a big bag that must've contained her dress.

"Hey, Care," I smiled.

"I'm so nervous!" she exclaimed. "Aren't you?"

"A little," I admitted honestly. But it wasn't the pageant I was nervous about. For some reason I was incredibly nervous about the dance with Damon. What if he didn't show up? Or what if he did, and I forgot the routine? Or worse, I fell on my butt while he stood there, looking hot? I shook of my worries; feeling stupid. There were much more important things to think about right now.

"Elena? Did you hear me?" Caroline asked.

I snapped back to reality. "Sorry, what?"

"I was just asking if you're staying for the party afterward," Caroline told me, ringing the doorbell.

"Oh, yeah," I nodded. "I probably will."

Carol greeted us, before ushering us inside while scolding us that we were far too late if we wanted to look perfect before the pageant. Jenna stuck her middle finger up at her behind her back, which had me giggling all the way up the stairs.

* * *

><p><strong>Damon's POV<strong>

It was now half past two, and I needed to be at the pageant. I sighed, sliding my black blazer on, and thinking about Elena. Her big, brown eyes filled my mind, and I smiled a little. The last few days I'd been spending with her had been a dream...I scoffed at myself. I sounded like a little schoolgirl. What I meant was, it had been great spending time with Elena when she wasn't afraid of me; wasn't judging me. She knew nothing about me – we'd basically started off on a clean slate. But I was worried about Stefan constantly. I scoffed again. How ironic. My baby bro was off drinking human blood, having sex with random girls while biting them, and I was the poor douche worrying about him, and getting weird feelings whenever I was around Elena. Weird, because I knew I had feelings for her. I cared about her...a lot. And I didn't know how to deal with it.

"Well, don't you look great?"

I turned to see Stefan standing in the doorway and watching me contemplatively. I rolled my eyes.

"What are your plans today, brother? Gonna feast on some sorority chicks?" I quipped.

"Actually, I was thinking of coming to the pageant," he remarked. "I haven't talked to Elena in a while, but I mean, you can still be her escort, of course."

"Thanks for your permission," I shot back sarcastically. "And you're going to actually talk to Elena today?"

"Yeah, why not?" Stefan shrugged. "She looks kinda down at the moment, and besides, I have this blood thing under control."

There was something in his expression...something I didn't quite trust.

"You wouldn't hurt her, Stefan," I said, my tone of matter-of-fact.

Stefan chuckled, and simply walked out, leaving me with doubt plaguing my mind and seeping through my blood.

* * *

><p>As soon as I arrived at the pageant, Carol Lockwood greeted me in a fluster.<p>

"Damon! You're just in time – the pageant's just about to start!" she smiled. "Well, you look dashing in your tux, if I must say, Mr Salvatore."

I gave her my best flirty smile. "Thank you, Carol. And may I say, you're quite the picture yourself."

Carol giggled and touched my arm. "Oh stop, Damon. Now, if you'll please follow me to meet the other escorts."

I nodded, and followed her through the crowd. I briefly caught Anna's eye as I went. She gave me a quick smile, and then continued on talking to the Younger Gilbert. I nodded at Alaric, who also gave me a small smile, before continuing his conversation with Jenna. Lastly, as I was approaching the entrance, I caught Bonnie's eye. She glared at me, before stalking off somewhere else with a drink. I couldn't help but grin. She obviously still hated me. I walked toward the other escorts, and my jaw dropped. Stefan was standing there in a tux, looking pretty smug. There was no way he could be escorting Elena, because I knew she entered last, and he was standing near the front. He smirked at me, before turning back to face the stairs. I listened out for the girls as they were called. It was the girl named Amber who Stefan would be escorting. I watched as he linked her arm and led her outside. But I was the only one who could smell the scent of fresh blood all over her. Stefan had obviously drunk from her, but healed and compelled her. This could not end well.

"Elena Gilbert!"

My gaze snapped up to the beauty who was now nervously walking down the stairs. I stared at her in shock. She looked so beautiful. Her hair was wavy, and the front parts were all pinned up. Her dress was made from blue silk, and I knew I had never seen anything more perfect. She shone brighter than every girl in this room, and I knew from that moment, I would always be crazy about her. Elena curtseyed to me and linked my arm. I saw worry flash in her eyes as she leaned closer and whispered in my ear.

"Stefan's escorting Amber," she breathed, before turning to the crowd, smiling, and allowing me to walk her out onto the courtyard.

* * *

><p><strong>Elena's POV<strong>

Jealousy and annoyance threatened to consume me as Damon walked me outside. Why was Stefan escorting Amber? Why would he do that? Hurt slammed down in my chest, which then made me mad. Why should I be angry? It wasn't fair – I hardly even knew Stefan, but inside of me, I had feelings for him, and yet he obviously didn't care about me, and I still cared. I sighed and faced Damon. For some reason, as I stared at him, all of my worries evaporated for a moment. He looked so laidback...and gorgeous, of course, in his tux. The music began to play, and he stared at me. I stepped forward, and we held our hands up; inches away from touching. As we danced, I lost myself in the music and in his eyes.

_Can you still see the heart of me?  
>All my agony fades away<br>When you hold me in your embrace_

Damon pulled me into his arms, and we began to dance around the court. He had me locked in his sapphire gaze, and I felt as though I would melt in his arms. Why couldn't I remember anything about him?

The song ended too quickly, and I stepped back. Damon smiled softly at me; the sun glinting off his raven-black hair and dancing across his face.

* * *

><p>The time had come for them to announce the winner. I stood next to Caroline and Amber, facing the crowd as Mrs Lockwood got ready to come on stage. I wished that I cared more about winning, but honestly, I didn't. It didn't bother me whether I won or lost. I knew that it meant a lot to my mom, but I could hardly remember her anyway, due to the stupid memory loss. My gaze roamed the crowd. I spotted Damon, who gave me a flirty smirk. I then saw Stefan, who also smirked at me and waved. Amber glared at me, as if to say, "The territory has been marked." I quickly looked away, and was rescued as Mrs Lockwood stepped onto the stage, and gestured for silence.<p>

"This has been another wonderful pageant, and I would like to thank each of these ladies for their hard work for the community, and I know they will all grow to be fine, lovely women amongst Mystic Falls. But I have the winner on this card," Mrs Lockwood said. "And the winner of this year's Miss Mystic Falls is...Caroline Forbes!"

Caroline squealed happily, and turned to me in surprise. "I – I won! I actually won!"

I giggled and hugged her. "Congratulations, Caroline!"

I applauded her as she stepped forward, and was crowned and the sash was draped around her. I smiled. She deserved to win because she actually wanted it. And I was really happy for her.

* * *

><p>Later on, after the celebratory dinner, I was beginning to feel tired, and my temple was beginning to throb. I could feel a headache coming on. Plus, my feet were tired from walking in the heels, and I really wanted to get out of this dress.<p>

"You ready to go?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Thanks for driving me, Bon."

"Wait – we need our coats," Bonnie handed me the keys. "Go and get the car started – I'll get the coats."

"Okay," I replied, walking out of the mansion. I'd already texted Jenna to let her know I was going, and I'd said goodbye to Caroline, who was still in shock and happiness that she had won. As I got to the car, I noticed someone was standing there.

"Stefan?" I recognised him immediately as I neared. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting for you," he smirked. "Hey."

"Hi," I said, shocked that he was actually talking to me. Wow. Someone kick me now. That sounded so lame. There was something different, though. Something about his eyes. From what I remembered vaguely, he always used to look happy when he saw me, and love would always shine through his irises. Today was different. He was different.

"Why don't you let me drive you home?" he enquired, taking a casual step forward. "We could go back to my place...and talk."

"What?" my eyes widened. "I can't go home with you."

"Why not? I am your boyfriend, aren't I?" he smiled playfully.

"Um, no, actually, you're not," I retorted. "A _boyfriend _would talk to me...look at me. Escort me to the pageant; actually give a damn that I got knocked over by a car only a week ago...you've done none of those things. Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to date you."

Despite saying all of this, I still had feelings for him. Part of me wanted to go back with him, but another part wanted him to fight for me. Show me he cared. That was all I needed.

Stefan grinned. "Come on, Elena, I just want to have a little fun."

"You sound drunk," I accused in disgust.

"Actually, I'm totally sober," he quipped. "This is the new me. The _fun _me. So come home with me." His request was beginning to sound more like an order. I may not remember who I was, but that didn't mean I was going to let this tool order me about.

"No," I said firmly, taking a step back. Stefan sighed, and grabbed my arm. Before I had time to think, he snatched the chain around my neck and yanked. The necklace came loose around my neck, and he chucked it across the street.

"Stefan, what are you doing?" I cried, as he grabbed my face in his hands and forced me to look at him. I tried to pull away, but he held my cheeks tightly.

"You are going to get in my car," he spoke softly, and hypnotically. "You will remain silent, and you'll do as I say, do you understand me?"

It was as if my brain and mouth weren't on speaking terms with each other. I had the sudden urge to agree with him, and I felt my lips moving without my permission.

"I understand," I replied, in a trance. Stefan smiled smugly, and his hands fell from my face.

"Let's go then," he smirked.


	5. Haunted

_Come on, come on, don't leave me like this,  
>I thought I had you figured out<br>Something's gone terribly wrong  
>You're all I wanted,<br>Come on, come on, don't leave me like this,  
>I thought I had you figured out<br>Can't breathe whenever you're gone  
>Can't turn back now, I'm haunted.<em>

__**Damon's POV**

I scanned the room closely, trying to pick out Elena. My eyes roamed across the area, searching for a flash of her blue dress. But I couldn't see her. Feeling slightly concerned, I approached Caroline.

"Damon," she exclaimed, obviously forgetting for a minute that she hated me. "Hey. Enjoying the party?"

"Yeah, where's Elena?" I asked.

"She's leaving," Caroline replied. "She told me she wasn't feeling good, and wanted to go home. If you go now, you'll probably be able to catch up with her, though. I saw Bonnie getting their coats."

I nodded. "Thanks, Blondie."

She didn't even scowl at me as I walked away, she was that happy that she'd won the pageant. I walked briskly toward the exit, quickening my pace to avoid Carol, who had noticed me. The cool air hit me, and my lungs expanded gratefully. I picked out Bonnie's car quickly. I smiled in relief. At least I could go and say goodbye to Elena. I hurried over to the car, and peered into the passenger window. Elena wasn't in there. Confused, I glanced around slowly. Maybe she'd gone to the bathroom...why was I worrying so much? She was fine. Just as I was about to walk away, something silver glinted at me from the floor in the light of the streetlamp. Feeling a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, I bent down to lift the necklace from the floor. Yep. It was Elena's.

"No, no, _no,_" I muttered furiously, pocketing the necklace, and turning to see Bonnie.

"What are you doing, Damon?" she demanded, clearly still not very happy with me. But I didn't even care.

"It's Elena – she's in trouble," I stated quickly. "I need to get home right now."

"Hey, what happened? Damon, I'm coming with you!" Bonnie insisted.

"No, Bonnie, I'm going alone," I argued, getting ready to take off at vampire speed.

"Is it Stefan? Has he done something to her?" she continued.

At that point, one of the girls from the pageant, Amber, hurried outside to see us.

"Have you guys seen Stefan?" she enquired.

"No," Bonnie snapped. "Go back inside."

Amber glared at her. "Bite me, Bonnie."

"Don't tempt me!" she retorted, taking a step forward.

"Okay, Bonnie, focus," I stepped in front of her and faced Amber, giving her my best, flirty smirk. "Stefan's inside. He just went to the restroom."

Amber giggled. "Kay, thanks," she hurried back inside, turning back around to wink at me as she did. Deciding it was better to risk Bonnie's wrath, rather than Elena's life, I took off before Bonnie could stop me. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of my house.

* * *

><p><strong>Elena's POV<strong>

I sat on the sofa, feeling fear seep through me. What the hell was I doing here? Why would I agree to come here? I glanced around in fright, staring at the huge, airy room, the mahogany furniture, and breathing in the familiar scent of the place. Where did I know it from? My gaze snapped back up as Stefan walked back in, carrying two glasses of what I presumed to be alcohol. I stood up abruptly.

"Stefan, I want to go home," I told him firmly. Stefan smirked, offering me a glass.

"Come on..." he grinned. "Stay for one drink."

"No!" I protested. "Why the hell am I here?"

"Don't you remember? You agreed to come here," he replied smugly. "I mean, you used to come here all the time. If you weren't at home, or at school, you were here. Don't you remember it, Elena?"

I felt frustration well inside of me. "What is wrong with you? You _know _I lost my memory – I can't remember chunks of my life! But whoever you are; you're meant to be my boyfriend, and you're scaring me! Please, just let me go home!"

Stefan pushed me back onto the sofa, placed the drinks on the table and sat opposite me. He stretched out on the couch, and regarded me contemplatively.

"I'm not the same person I was, Elena," he said slowly. "And neither are you. You deserve to know the truth," he stood, and sat next to me. I inhaled sharply as he pulled out the hair grips that pinned my hair back, before tossing them carelessly to the side. My heart fluttered manically in my chest as he pushed my hair over my shoulder, exposing my throat. He stroked my cheek, before pulling my face around so I was forced to look at him.

"Keep still," he told me hypnotically. I blinked at the command, and felt the urge to keep still, even though every instinct in my body was telling me to move. Stefan tilted my head to the side so my throat was again exposed to him. I shivered as he ran a finger down my neck, before leaning down and brushing his lips against my skin. Stefan growled, and I gasped as I felt the sharp graze of his teeth –

"Elena!" the front door was suddenly kicked open, and Damon stood there, anger and fury emanating from him.

I jumped, startled, as Damon walked briskly forward and punched Stefan in the face. Stefan smashed into the sofa opposite, turning it over.

"Damon!" I gasped. "What the hell?"

He yanked me up, pulling me behind him. "Are you okay?" he demanded.

"I – I'm fine," I replied shakily.

Stefan staggered to his feet from behind the sofa, glaring at Damon. "Why did you stop me, brother? I was about to reveal the truth."

"You stay the hell away from her," Damon hissed aggressively. "She'll remember when she's ready."

"Remember what?" I asked.

"Nothing," Damon said. "I'll drive you home, Elena."

* * *

><p>Damon pulled his car over outside my house, and I sighed, sliding out of his jacket that he'd leant me.<p>

"Thanks for the ride, Damon," I sighed.

He nodded, and accepted his jacket. "You gonna be okay?"

I felt tears well in my eyes. "No."

Damon sighed, and softly brushed the side of my cheek with his hand. "It'll be fine, Elena. Here, I got this for you," he delved in his pocket and pulled out my necklace. I smiled through my tears and closed my hand around it.

"Why did he take it from me?" I asked. "Where did I even get it from?"

"It was Stefan who got that for you," he explained. "I guess he just felt mad that you don't remember him."

"He was right," I gulped. "I'm not the same person I was. I don't even know who that was. Damon, I've gathered from all of this that my life was a messy, complicated mess before. I don't want that. If it's gonna be like that, then I don't want to remember it. I just want to get through high school, maybe fall in love, and have fun. I just want to lead an easier life. Maybe this whole memory loss thing is a blessing in disguise."

Damon smiled gently. "You want an easy life? Fun and spontaneous?"

"That's exactly what I want," I sighed.

Damon grinned. "And that's exactly what you'll get."

* * *

><p>Sunday morning, I awoke to a soft humming sound that was coming from right next to me. Sighing in content, I opened my eyes, to see Damon's blue ones sparkling mischievously next to me.<p>

"Oh my God!" I gasped, sitting bolt upright. "What are you doing in my bed? How the hell did you get in?"

"Oh, through the front door," he commented breezily, picking up my teddy bear and playing with its ears. "It's noon, Elena. You've slept in – Jeremy let me in as he was leaving to wake you up."

"Where's Jenna?" I asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious that I was in my pyjamas, and he was lying there looking extremely hot. I blushed, and pulled the covers up over me.

"She's out with Ric," he told me.

I sighed, and flopped back down onto the pillows. "What can I do for you, Damon?"

"Um...you can do a _lot _of things for me, Elena," – he was cut off as I smacked him with a pillow – "But I'm assuming you mean in _this _context, so I was thinking you could shower, get dressed and I'll be waiting for you downstairs."

"Why?" I enquired. "What are we doing?"

Damon tapped me lightly on the nose. "That's for me to know, and you to find out. Now hurry up. I'll be in the kitchen."

Once I'd showered, I dressed in a pair of jeans, and a simple, red vest top and jacket, before tying my hair in a high ponytail and hurrying downstairs. I could smell bacon and eggs from the kitchen, and I peered inside to see Damon serving up a fried egg and bacon toasted sandwich. He grinned when he saw me.

"Brunch is served," he placed the plate on the table and gestured for me to follow. Smiling, I sat down at the table and began to eat.

"Thank you," I smiled. He sat opposite me, nicking a streak of bacon that had fallen from the sandwich, and eating it.

"Is this spontaneous enough for you?" he enquired, watching me with a smile.

"Yes," I giggled. "So, what's on the agenda today?"

"Well, we're going to the 'Falls today," he smiled. "So you'd better get your walking boots on."

* * *

><p><strong>General POV<strong>

Frederick watched the rest of the tomb vampires contemplatively, finishing off his glass of blood and chucking it carelessly to the side. Their numbers had dropped considerably within the last couple of weeks. When Damon Salvatore and that human had killed off a load of them; they'd lost some important members. And then Pearl had gone and kicked them all out; so they'd lost Pearl, Anna and Harper. Like that mattered, though, Frederick smirked.

"I have an idea on how we're going to kill the founding families," he stated, raising his voice so they could all hear them.

"How?" one of them asked eagerly.

"We're going to pick them off one by one," he said slyly. "Starting with the Forbes. We'll go for the daughter first, and lure the mother out so we can kill them both. Then we'll go for the Fells, the Salvatores, the Gilberts and we'll kill Mayor Lockwood and his family off last. But we have to be careful. I will capture the Forbes girl, and bring her here. Then we pick the others off one by one until they're all dead."


End file.
